Feminist and LGBTQ+ Studies

Abstract

World literature is deeply determined by the topic of love. In most cases, the poets seem to leave it at that and describe either the happiness or sorrow resulting from the erotic experience. However, a closer analysis of a variety of texts from the tenth, twelfth, thirteenth, and fifteenth centuries reveals that sexuality mattered as well, and this for many different purposes. Sometimes, surprisingly, poets referred quite openly to sexuality for religious purposes (prurience vs. virginity), sometimes, they revealed the crude material interests (courtly love poetry), and sometimes, they intended to mock individuals or groups of people (satire). If we want to be honest and transparent in our literary analysis, we have to acknowledge that dimension as well.

Biography

ALBRECHT CLASSEN received his Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in 1986. He has a broad range of research interests covering the history of German and European literature from about 800 to 1600. He has currently published 132 books and well over 800 articles dealing with comparative issues, gender topics, environmental concerns, and cultural historical themes. Most recently appeared Prostitution in Medieval and Early Modern Literature (2021), Charlemagne in Medieval German and Dutch Literature (2021), Tracing the Trails in the Medieval World (2021), Wisdom from the European Middle Ages (2022), The Secret in Medieval Literature (2022), Globalism in the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Age (ed., 2023), and Der Niederrheinische Orientbericht, c. 1350 (trans., 2024). A new book on court criticism and of evil kings in medieval literature appeared in 2024. In 2017, he received the rank of Grand Knight Commander of the Most Noble Order of the Three Lions.